Interlude 1: The Orphan
Floating mountains lood behind the treetops. Not a few hills but imposing mountains. Their peaks pierced the sky and disappeared in the clouds. Vertiginous icy cliffs prevented an easy ascent. Could one only cross them? Gabrielle, in spite of squinting her eyes, did not see the end of the mountain archipelago. She could only see peaks, culminating higher and higher. The eternal snows were beautiful from far away. The girl knew the cold was lethal, but the most beautiful roses had thorns to protect them. Gabrielle smiled at the beauty of nature. She felt so small beside it. Small but hopeful.
Behind her, under the hill, was the temporary camp of her clan. The Gaeserts were a nomadic clan. They had stopped for the week and would be leaving again soon. Gabrielle had finished collecting so flowers for the clan's apothecary and healer. After a last look toward the majestic mountains, she headed for the camp.
As she reached the bottom of the hill, she nodded to Gael. The teenager would soon be sixteen. He was already old enough to be given adult tasks. Tasks that no one wanted to do, such as unnecessarily standing guard at the clan entrance. According to the apothecary, it was a way to keep the young people busy, train them, and make them work for the clan's benefit. The boy returned her greeting before looking back at the horizon with a confident pose and a superior air. Silly, as if you could stop any threat the Shaman might have missed.
Gabrielle liked Gael. He thought he was a great warrior while he hadn't hunted anything fiercer than a spider, but at least he tried to act like an adult. He focused on the clan's survival, not stupid children's quarrels. Not like so people. As if called by her thought, a burst of voice resounded in the direction of the won's tents. Gabrielle had a bad presentint and pressed the step.
Behind Cerd's tent, a small crowd had gathered. The cook must have gone hunting. Otherwise, none of the children present would have dared to raise their voices. Being a hunter ant being able to venture outside the camp alone and face monsters. Only the best warriors could beco hunters. Cerd was the best hunter in the clan. Respected by all, the Shaman and the Chief listened to her advice carefully.
But when the cat's away, the mice will play. If only they would play...
"What's going on here?" she asked one of the boys. The little one gasped before turning back to her.
"Oh Gabrielle, it's just you! You scared to death! I thought Cerd or another cook had co ho from the eting. Oh, as you can see, nothing special is going on. Just another fight between Broli and Laepa. Broli is going to celebrate his sixteenth birthday, and the ceremony will take place tomorrow night. He wants to know who is the best warrior before that. That's stupid if you ask ."
"Of course, it's stupid. Broli will be a defender. If he still hasn't figured out that attacking Laepa was useless, he'll end up developing the wrong skills. Laepa is just as stupid for agreeing. Broli is an idiot, but she is not. She should have refused the fight."
"Honor..."
"What honor can you gain against your own clan? What honor can one lose when one is a child who has none? No one listens to the Shaman..."
Gabrielle stepped forward. In the center of a circle of children was a young boy bleeding profusely while wearing a gigantic smile. Opposite him was a young girl, breathless but intact. Constitution and Vitality versus Agility and Perception. A mistake from Leapa would be enough to guarantee Broli's victory, but Gaeserts don't make mistakes. Otherwise, we wouldn't be here.
The confrontation had already been played a hundred tis last year. Broli never let more than three days go by before provoking Laepa. The young woman was the best among the girls, but Gabrielle suspected Broli had other interests in provoking her. In his defense, he was surely not aware of it himself!
Whatever the reasons, the results were always the sa. Laepa won. With difficulty, she always took longer, but she won. The girl had to be three tis faster at running than he was, and she was accelerating five tis more quickly. Broli would have had every chance to win in a confined space, but not outdoors. Both youngsters had the sa strength, but Laepa's agility turned that strength into speed. Broli's constitution allowed him to use his strength to increase his power. Broli would win an arm wrestle a hundred tis, and Laepa would escape that sa arm wrestle a hundred tis. But if Broli had been able to use a submission technique, the girl would never have been able to break free.
Laepa was not stupid and would never have accepted a fight under unfavorable conditions. It was even a clan rule. When you can't win, run away. It was the rule that had allowed the Gaesert to survive in Elysium. The clan mbers were wise enough to know they were weak.
The ceremony was about to begin. The clan mbers were gathered near the central fire. The Shaman was helping the Chief to prepare the ritual.
On Gabrielle's left stood the won. The Gaeserts were an equal clan. Warriors and hunters were of equal strength but had different specialties. So protected with their Constitution and Vitality, and others attacked with Agility, speed, and precision. It was only by working together that they were able to cross the islands of Elysium. But tonight, it was the n who were concerned by the ceremony. Gabrielle saw Mama Apo talking with Cerd. The old healer did not want to travel with the enemies of her clan. This was understandable because a healer had to help every clan. Healing the Snaherts, the ones who killed her first apprentice, was unthinkable for her. Furthermore, the Snaherts specialized in venom, a discipline known to the healers. "Poison or potion, only the dosage changes," Mama Apo said.
Laepa was behind the two won, busy stuffing herself with at under the exasperated gaze of her brother Gal. On the right rose the n's tents, and Gabrielle ventured there. She found Broli alone, ditating.
"Hey. Sorry about yesterday. I was... in shock. But thanks for telling all that. I wanted to make it up to you. Do you need anything? I have alcohol if you want..."
The boy opened his eyes and began to laugh. He cald down before answering.
"Funny, I would have said yes to you on any other occasion, but not tonight. Tonight I'm becoming an adult. I know I'm not the smartest man, but I can at least be the bravest. I don't want alcohol. I want to face my fate proudly."
Gabrielle nodded her head.
"That's brave. Are you scared? They're going to rge you with a Tier 3 core. You won't be quite the sa after that."
"It's true. It's funny to think that, but I'm not afraid. All n go through this, and only the weakest die or change. I'll probably grow hair everywhere, my bones will thicken, and my nose will flatten, but... I'll get the strength to protect the clan. You too, Gab'."
What is this idiot saying?
"Ahah, don't look at like that," laughed Broli. "You heard right. You're the smartest girl in the clan, but you still have much to learn. In the anti, let protect you. With and Laepa, the clan will grow stronger. You... you will know what to do with our strength. I trust you. Mama Apo stands back from decisions, but if I were Chief, I would listen to you."
"... Thank you Broli. I appreciate it. It was you I ca to comfort originally, but I see you don't necessarily need it. I feel like you've grown up a lot lately, and I'm not that far ahead of you anymore. I won't be able to make fun of Broli-diot soon!"
"Ahah, I think I'm still an idiot Gab'. But you make feel better, you know? Being a protector, that's what I want. I need people to protect, and cheering you up helps . Sotis helping others is how you help yourself..."
Gabrielle was stunned. Broli had to have doubled his intellectual capacity during the night to hold such profound and coherent words. The drums began to beat, and the young man stood up. It was his mont.
"Oh, and thanks for yesterday. The ointnt... I've seen your scars, you know? I know you inflict wounds on yourself to better learn to heal. To better heal us. You're not the only one who wants to make the clan powerful. You can count on us Gab'. We are the Gaeserts. Your revenge is my revenge. The Snaherts will pay."
With these words, the young man disappeared. The girl smiled because he was right. She was a Gaeserts. She was sacrificing herself for them, and they were sacrificing themselves for her.
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